After emerging from the chaos of COVID-19, the Simpson College Powerlifting Club has returned even stronger for its first full year on campus.

After OrgFest, which the club had a table at, their roster nearly tripled in size. 

“We have 96 total members, with 40 girls,” Club President Lucas Volf said.

Before OrgFest and the wave of new members, which included approximately 40 first-years, the club stood at 35 members. The list continues to grow as more members join the welcoming environment. 

“The vibe and feel have been pretty good,” Volf said.

Support for the club has been solid with both students and faculty expressing interest and encouragement. 

The club looks to pursue competition in the future, but only has plans to spectate this semester. 

“As far as competing, a lot of people are in the early stages of training, so not really looking to compete right now, but definitely in the spring it’s going to be our time to compete for sure,” Volf said. 

The group is full of members who want to take their passion to the next level. 

“Eventually, I will compete,” First-year Colton Anderson said. 

Anderson said his love for the sport was what motivated him to sign up.

For those who were high school athletes but may not be on a sports team here at Simpson, the club can offer structure and encouragement similar to a team’s lifting program. 

“I used to do wrestling in high school so we were in the weight room often, and they don’t have a female wrestling program here so I was like, might as well join powerlifting to keep up,” First-year Kylie Rae Torres said. 

Torres said she hopes to increase her weightlifting maxes through participation in the club.

Volf said he is concerned about the lack of connectivity of campus organizations and groups.

“We’re gaining a lot of people right away which is exciting, but I don’t want to push away from the people that have already been established like the Health and Exercise Science Club and Pre-Health Society; I don’t want them to think we’re taking their people because we’re promoting them as well type of thing,” Volf said. 

Even after the group’s large growth, the goal of helping each other has remained the same.

The group meets loosely every weekday in the weight room around 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. and is open to anyone who wants to better themselves regardless of athletic participation.

“It’s a fun, safe space, nobody judges anybody, and we’re just here to have fun,” Volf said.

Volf also added that the club would look good on a resume. 

“If you definitely want to see a difference in strength and in your body muscle-wise, I would definitely join the program,” Torres said.

Simpson College’s very own powerlifting club is going to continue to grow bigger and stronger, but it’s just getting started. 

There is not a set date for this month’s club meeting; those who are interested can contact either President Lucas Volf or Secretary Jacob Volf.